hjá
At Someone's Place (Hjá)
hjá + dative means at someone's place: Viltu gista hjá mér? (Do you want to stay at my place?)
How It Works
At someone's place. English needs a whole phrase, but Icelandic just says hjá + the person in the dative:
- hjá mér (at my place), hjá þér (at your place), hjá henni (at her place)
- Við borðum hjá ömmu á sunnudaginn. (We're eating at Grandma's on Sunday.)
- Ég bý hjá foreldrum mínum. (I live with my parents, in their home.)
At a workplace or service. Hún vinnur hjá bankanum (She works at the bank). Ég var hjá lækninum í morgun (I was at the doctor's this morning). Ég á tíma hjá tannlækni (I have an appointment with a dentist).
"With you" in greetings. Hvað er að frétta hjá þér? (What's new with you?)
Always the dative. hjá is one of the prepositions that always take the dative, so use mér, þér, honum, henni after it.
hjá, til or með?
- hjá = being at someone's place: Ég er hjá Önnu.
- til = going to someone: Ég fer til Önnu.
- með = together with: Ég fer með Önnu (I am going with Anna).
You will also meet fram hjá (past, by): Við keyrðum fram hjá skólanum (We drove past the school).
Examples (6)
- Viltu gista hjá mér?
Do you want to stay over at my place?
Word by Word: Want-you stay at me?
- Ég var hjá lækninum í morgun.
I was at the doctor's this morning.
Word by Word: I was at the doctor in morning.
- Hún vinnur hjá bankanum.
She works at the bank.
- Við borðum hjá ömmu á sunnudaginn.
We're eating at Grandma's on Sunday.
Word by Word: We eat at grandma on the Sunday.
- Hvað er að frétta hjá þér?
What's new with you?
Word by Word: What is to hear at you?
- Ég bý hjá foreldrum mínum.
I live with my parents.
Word by Word: I live at parents my.
This means living in your parents' home.
Common Mistakes
Using hjá for going to a person.
Ég fer hjá lækninum á morgun.Ég fer til læknis á morgun.hjá is for being at a place. With movement to a person, use til + genitive.
Using an accusative pronoun after hjá.
Hún býr hjá mig.Hún býr hjá mér.hjá always takes the dative: mér, þér, honum, henni.
How It Connects
Learn This First
hjá builds on the dative.
Related Patterns
- Prepositions With the Dative
hjá is one of the prepositions that always take the dative.
Level 3 - tilTo (Til)
Used for going to a person, while hjá is for being there.
Level 1 - meðWith (Með)
Means together with, not at someone's place.
Level 1 - mér / þér / honum / henniDative Pronouns
The dative pronouns that follow hjá.
Level 1 - heim / heimaHome (Heim, Heima)
heim and heima talk about going home and being at home; heima hjá + a person says whose home it is: heima hjá mér.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice hjá in Bubblegum
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